Dry shaving device



Nav. 19, 1940. R. KNAPP DRY SHAVING DEVICE Filed April l1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1940.- R. KNAPP 2,222,107

DRY SHAVING DEVICE Filed April ll, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A, B sa l 105 98 "um 7X j 102 ,9g WWW il 00 @6 :111i

1::.1 Ii; 16' A 2,0 l je' f Patented Nov. 19, 1940 'UNITED STATES .DRY SHAVING DEVICE Raymond Knapp, Long Island City, N. Y., assigner to Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis, Mo., a

' corporation of Missouri application April 11,1938, sei-ua No. 201,313

1 Claim My invention relates to hair clippers and particularly to a type oi hair clipper designed to cut hair extremely close to the skin and commonly termed a dry shaver. Among the objects of my invention is the provision of a new and improved dry shaver which is capable of producing a clean, smooth shave after one operation over the skin.

Another object is the provision of a new and lo improved dry shaver which has a combination oi perforations supplied in a cutting head adapted to give a rough shave followed immediately by a smooth finish shave as the instrument is passed once over the skin.

Still another object is the provision of a new and improved dry shaver capable of giving both a rough and finished shave as a result of one application of the machine which is accomplished by supplying a cutting head provided with a variety of perforations through which the hair may project which diner either in dimension or in relative position upon the cutting head so that hair which may not be completely cut oil? close to the skin in one set of perforations may u be properly cut in a succeeding set of perforations.

Still a further object is the provision of a dry shaver supplied with a cutting head having a curved outline with periorations completely surw rounding the curved portion so that as the instrument is passed over the skin upon which a beard may grow close to the skin or slanting in various directions the perforations will be so positioned as to permit all of the beard stubs to w enter the cutting head and be cut off therein close to the skin.

.Pi further object is the provision of a dry shaver supplied with a rounded skin plate so that there may be perfect comfort for. the user and one which due tol the employment of operating parts of a greater simplicity is relatively inexpensive to manufacture so as to be within reach oi the average person of modern means.

m with these and other objects in view, my inpartially in section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the cutting head par--` tially in section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a crosssection of the cutting head 5 taken on the line I--l of Figure 3. f

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cutting edge showing the cutter partially withdrawn.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section lo of a dry shaver body showing a modied form of my cutting head in position.

Figure '7 is a side view of the modified form of acutting head partially in section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6. x5

Figure 8 is a cross section of the cutting head taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 -is va'bottom view of a modified form of a cutting head taken on the lire 9 9 of Figure '1.

Figure 10 is across section oistill another form oi my device.

In the construction of clipping machines or dry Shavers which are designed to shave the skin `without the use of lather there are structural z5 limitations which necessitate careful engineering in order to produce a machine which will effeet a close shave comparable to that made possible by the Well known old fashioned straight razor. The use of an ordinary razor when itdoes 30 not completely cut the beard stub close to the skin frequently results in cuttingsharp points on the beard. Therefore, even in the use of a straight razor it is almost always necessary to shave twice over the face in order that short 35 and frequently sharp stubs of beard may be completely removed. Similarly in dry Shavers heretofore devised it has nearly always been necessary to shavetwo or three times over the bearded skin and then frequently to shave at a very 40,

slow pace in order to produce the requisite close shave, which is the only shave that spells real comfort for a shaver.

The invention herein described employs a rounded skin plate forming a cutting edge which 5 produces a comfortable feeling when passed over the hair -of a beard which lies at an angular direction close to the skin can be caused to initially enter at least some of the perforations on the side of the skin plate as the cutting head is passed 5 over the skin. These diagonal lying hairs will then receive a rough cut by the first perforations which is followed immediately by a fine or close cut performed by a set of perforations locatedat the crown of the curved skin plate as the skin is folded around the rounded cutter. There are provided a great number of perfora-` tions lying in a direction to pick up the beard regardless of its direction and by this means in passing the skin plate once over the skin both a rough cut and finished cut is provided which results in a quick smooth shave. e

In the embodiment chosen to illustrate my invention there is shown a dry shaver having a body A provided with a cutting head B inserted at the end. In the body there is provided an actuating arm I0 suitably mounted upon a pivot I2 and driven by some power element not shown. The arm I0 is curved around so as to enter the cutting head B when it is in place ih the body. The body itself includes an end piece I4 secured by some convenient means to handle portions I6 and I 8 and provided with a retaining means such as screws 20 for holding the cutting head in place. The cutting need itself 1n the embodiment shown consists of a stamping Ahaving flat parallel sides 24 joined by a semi-circular curved arc 26. The fiat sides 24 are spread apart by a spacer 28 and are secured in place upon the spacer by rivets 30. Flanges 32 are formed at the ends of the stamping to give strength and rigidity to the member. Where desired a slight depression may be supplied at the points 34 in order that the cutting head may be conveniently 40 clamped Within the body and readily removed therefrom.

The spacer itself has provided. therein a deep slot 36 within which operating arm I0 is inserted for driving the moving element of the cutting head. Also in the spacer are provided a pair of passages 36 one at each end which are capped by sleeves 40. A square groove 4I extends from end to end.

Each sleeve in turn has a central aperture 42 vented from being pushed completely through the aperture 42 by means of a fin 50 pinched at the end opposite the knob 46.

The stamping 24 forms an outer shear plate and since the arc 26 forming a part of the shear plate actually moves in contact with the skin,

it can aptly be termed a skin plate. The skin plate therefor is provided with a ro'w of slots 52 at the crown of the arc which are designed to make'the finished cut or close shave as the plate is passed over the bearded skin. symmetrically disposed at either side of the crown slots there is provided a series of rows 54, 56, 58, etc., of perforations with the perforations in each alternated or staggered with relation to the perforations in each adjacent row, it being also apparent that relation to the crown slots. It should be borne in mind however that this staggered arrangement is merely a means of placing the lateral shearing edges o'f the perforations in staggered 5 relation to each other so that as the plate is the perforations in rows 54 are staggered withv passed over the skin successive shearingedges will be in a position slightly at one side or another of the shearing edgel immediately preceding it. By this arrangement the entire beard can be cut as the plate is passed once over the skin. 5

The perforations comprising the 'rows 54, 56 and 58 may be made greater in diameter than the widths of the slots 52. By arrangement of this sort, the cutting edges of the perforations are necessarily displaced laterally to Vsome exl0 tent from the cutting edges of the slots 52. In addition, by Vmaking the perforations larger, they are capable of receiving more readily the stubs ofa coarse beard in order to make an initial rough cut and with the beard once rough l5 cut, the slots 52 can be conveniently employed to make a smooth close finish cut.

By spacing the rows 54,56 and 58 of perforations around the roundedvside of the skin plate 26, they are adapted to receive the ends of hair 20 which lie at anA angle to the skin, particularly when pressure on the plate depresses the skin causing it to surround the plate in a slight fold. As the plate is passed over a skin having a beard growth of this sort, the ends very readily pro- 25 ject straight into lthe perforations where they can be sheared off.

A somewhat cylindrical cutter 60 is supplied for the cutting head located atthe inner side of the skin plate 2s. The cutter 1s formed by 30 millinga plurality of transverse slots 62 across one side of the cutter producing a series of teeth 64. The slots are made of ample depth so that the teeth 64 thus'formed completely contact the edges of all of the perforations in the skin 35 plate.

Another feature of the cutter is the provision of a central aperture 66 drilled slightly eccentric from the center line of the cutter so as to make the teeth 64 hollow and vary the thickness there- 40 of from a minimum at the crown 68 to a maximum at the spring line 'I0 forming teeth which have the shape of an arc. Teeth formed in this manner have the advantage of being light in Weight and still rigid in construction. l 45 At the side of the cutter opposite from the teeth there is provided a at 'I2 and in the fiat are a pair of depressions 14 one at each end adapted to receive the knob 46 which is spring pressed thereinto by the coil spring 46. In this 50 manner the cutter 60 is pressed into shearing contact with the inside of the skin plate and is prevented from rotating with respect thereto. At the center of the flat there is provided a transverse recess 16 adapted to the reception of a rounded end 18 of the arm I0. As the arm reciprocates back and forth the rounded end 'I8 being forced against the walls of the recess "I6 rapidly reciprocates the cutter back and forth within the skin plate. o0

In a modified form of my device there is shown a dry shaver having abody A which is provided with a cutting he'ad B mounted thereon. The body is provided customarily with an actuating arm l0' suitably mounted upon a pivot I2 and 65 driven by the usual power element, not shown. The body is provided as is customary with handle portions I6 and I6', these handle portions forming a hollow cavity within the body. There is also mounted in the body a spring clip 7 82 having an arm 84 extending upward and toward the right in a position to contact with the cutter element B.

The cutter element itself in the embodiment shown is made of asingle stamping havingpara-l- '5 fiO lei sides 86 which are joined by an arcuate portion 88, the arcuate portion being provided with a plurality of rows of perforations 90. Each of the ends ofthe stamping are provided with a flange 92 which gives strength and rigidity to the device. I

Parallel sides 86 are held apart in parallel arrangement by a spreader 94 located on the inside between them. Cn the outside of each of said parallel sides there is positioned a. plate v86 which isrveted to the parallel sides and the spreader by a series of rivets 98, thus holding the supporting part of the cutting head in rugged and rigid assembly. The outer plate 96 in each case is provided with an elongated groove 99 which when the cutter head is inserted in the body portion engages the resilient clip 84 to releasably hold the cutting head in position in the body.

In this form of my device similar to the first form described there'is shown a deep slot |80 in the spreader through which an end |02 `of the actuating arm projects in order to be operatively connected within the cutting head.

There is provided also a movable cutter |04 which is equipped with a plurality of semi-circular hollow teeth |06. 'I'he rear section of the. cutter, directly behind the semi-circular teeth is somewhat rectangular in cross section and substantially lls the space between the parallel sides not iilled by the spreader 94. 'I 'he cutter has formed therein a depression |88 for the reception and engagement with the end |02 of the actuating arm I0.

The cutter by reason of having a base portion rectangular in cross section is adapted to fit snugly within the outer end of the cutting element and adds rigidity to it particularly since the semi-circular teeth IUE completely mesh with the entire inside surface of the arcuate portion.

In order to be sure that the cutter teeth ride snugly upon the inside surface of the arcuate portion, there is provided a pair of spring pressed rods |||l lying within passages and urged into position against the cutter blade by a helical spring I2. The springs in turn bear against sleeves ||4 threaded into the passages, the spring pressed rods being prevented from being pushed `completely through the sleeve by means of fins ||6 pinched upon them at the outer ends.

In a cutting head of this sort, the entire space inside the walls forming the skin plate is substantially filled with the spreader and cutter form-ing in effect, a solid metallic core, part of which is stationarily riveted thereto and part of which comprises the rapidly reciprocating cutter. A construction of this sort makes 'a relatively heavy, rigidcutting head especially in a construction wherein relatively thin stamping material is used in order to form the outer walls. i

Figure 10 shows still a further modification of a cutter head, the outside walls of which are built up of a stamping. 'I'his stamping is formed in a manner similar to members described in the other modifications herein described in that it is coniposcd of a metallic sheet having parallel side portions |20, a pair of opposit'eand angularly disposed iiat side portions |22 joined by an arc |24 of the same material which exceeds a measurement of 180 degrees in curvature. The arc as heretofore described is perforated, forming thereby substantially a net work of holes |26 through which the h-air stubs project when the device is used for shaving.

Between the parallel side portions |20 there is interposed a spreader |28 and on the outside 'of these same sides there is a pair of plates |38 with all of the parts held together by means of a rivet |32. The outer plates have in them the customary groove or depression 99' engageable with the clip 84.

In this modification there is provided a cutter of particular design having a shank or base portion |34 primarily trapezoidal in cross section so as to fit snugly within the somewhat bulbous end of the cutting element and, as previously described, substantially filling the space within the cutting head. 'I'he cutter blade is provided also with hollow arcuate teeth |36 of uniform breadth and thickness cooperable with the arcuate portion |24 of the stamping to form a shear plate.

Here again there is provided a cutting head of extremely rigid construction which is relatively heavy and which is additionally braced by the sloping sides confining between them, the somewhat trapezoidal base of the cutting element thereby assisting materially in holding the teeth of the-cutting blade in shearing position.

There has been provided therefor a round smooth operating cutting head for a dry shaver so provided with a variety of shearing perforations that by a single application to the bearded skin, a comfortable close shave can be secured.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention. and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modiiied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within its scope.

I claim as my invention:

In a shaver, a cutting head including an outer skin plate comprising a perforated stamping having fiat sides joined by a semi-circular arc of the material of uniform thickness, said arc having a series of narrow finish cut slots at the crown for the admission of hair stubs and a plurality of rows of rough cut holes on each side of the crown separated from the slots and larger in diameter than the Width of said slots, the perforations in each row being spaced alternately with respect to the perforations in adjacent rows and adapted to admit the ends of hair stubs as the plate is passed over the skin, the portion of the skin plate betweenthe holes and the slots being adapted to temporarily depress the hair stubs and then snap said stubs into the finish slots, an inner cutting member cooperable with the perforations to progressively shorten the hair stubs as the cutting head is passed-over the skin and resilient means in said cutting head urged against the `cutting member to press the cutting portion only of said member into shearing position.

RAYMOND KNAPP. 

